Spoiler alert: The following article contains spoilers from Yellowstone season 5, episode 12, “Counting Coup.”
Following Yellowstone season 5, episode 12, “Counting Coup,” only two episodes remain in the Paramount Network series (unless the reports about a possible sixth season are true).
In Yellowstone season 5, episode 12, Rip Wheeler and the other ranch hands worked hard to sell off as much of their livestock as possible. As Rip told the others, he would rather lose horses, cattle, bulls, etc. than any of the land to the state. So, the cowboys and cowgirls got to work, with some of them helping transport the animals. However, tragedy struck back at the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch in episode 12, and one character’s death will change the others’ lives forever and particularly impact two of the ranch hands.
Colby Dies While Trying To Help Carter In The Dutton Ranch
A Bad-Tempered Horse Kills Colby
Inside the stable, the horse kicked and stomped on Colby, almost instantly killing him in Yellowstone season 5, episode 12. After escaping, Carter ran to retrieve a shotgun and returned and shot the animal, but it was too late. The noise of the gun firing alerted the other ranch hands, who all ran to the stables. Sadly, there was nothing they could do but carry Colby’s body out of the stable and inform the others (and Colby’s family) of his death. Ryan and Teeter were devastated, of course, as they lost their best friend and boyfriend, respectively.
Why Colby’s Death In Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 12 Is More Heartbreaking
Colby & Teeter’s Talk At The Beginning Makes His Death More Sad
Perhaps the first scene in Yellowstone season 5, episode 12 should have tipped off viewers about Colby’s death as it was seemingly too good to be true. At the top of the hour, Colby and Teeter spoke on the phone, and Colby accidentally let it slip that he loved her. He tried to take it back, claiming that it was early, but Teeter wouldn’t let him off the hook. Before hanging up, Teeter told Colby that she loved him, too, not knowing that would be the last time she ever spoke to him. Consequently, Colby’s death was all the more tragic.
“For anyone who really understands the lifestyle of cowboys and working with animals and the risks of the job — and Rip says it about himself — it’s a dangerous job, and this kind of thing happens, and it happens in a split-second. This death comes as a shock because it’s so simple, and it’s so grounded in the world in which all these characters work that it’s profoundly tragic because there’s no enemy here. It’s the risk of the job. And especially because of the way that Colby and Teeter’s relationship has been playing out — absence makes the heart grow fonder; and their relationship had really just begun to take root in a different way — the timing of it is just gut-wrenching.”
Colby’s Yellowstone Death Felt Unnecessary
There Is No Good Reason Why Colby Had To Die For Yellowstone’s Story
| Yellowstone Season 5 Episode # | Episode Title | Director | Writer | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | “Desire Is All You Need” | Christina Alexandra Voros | Taylor Sheridan | November 10, 2024 |
| 10 | “The Apocalypse of Change” | Christina Alexandra Voros | Taylor Sheridan | November 17, 2024 |
| 11 | “Three Fifty-Three” | Christina Alexandra Voros | Taylor Sheridan | November 24, 2024 |
| 12 | “Counting Coup” | Christina Alexandra Voros | Taylor Sheridan | December 1, 2024 |
| 13 | TBA | TBA | Taylor Sheridan | December 8, 2024 |
| 14 | TBA | TBA | Taylor Sheridan | December 15, 2024 |
The only thing that Colby’s unnecessary death in Yellowstone season 5, episode 12 achieves is one more tally on season 5, part 2’s body count list. Plus, John and Sarah’s previous deaths lessened the impact of Colby’s. If a TV series starts killing characters left and right, each death becomes less and less profound as the story continues, which is why Colby’s fate in Yellowstone was so underwhelming, confusing, and completely uncalled for.
